The killing, at the weekend in parts of Plateau State by armed men in military fatigue of over 500 villagers, has drawn strong condemnation from a pro-democracy civil society group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA).

Against the backdrop of recent mass killings by suspected armed hoodlums, especially in the North Central region of Nigeria dominated by Ethnic minorities, HURIWA tasked the incoming administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari to set up judicial mechanisms through thoroughbred investigations at state levels to unravel the causes and masterminds of the dastardly crime against humanity with an objective to enforce necessary laws to penalise the killers.

HURIWA, therefore, canvassed bipartisan approach to firmly root out mass murderers and ensure that those who commit atrocities are charged to court of competent jurisdiction and prosecuted competently and professionally and punished for their crimes.

In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA wants the President-elect to use his richly endowed goodwill as a vastly revered Nigerian statesman of Northern origin to encourage state administrations in the frontline restive states to initiate truth and reconciliation process.

The rights group believes that only an effective implementation of a combination of the twin strategy of constructive civil dialogues and enforcement of a range of anti mass killing laws by professionally disciplined police force and the offices if Attorneys -General in the 36 states of the federation of Nigeria will minimise the spate of organised pogroms that have gone on uninterrupted in different parts of Northern Nigeria.

HURIWA said thus; "We hereby in the strongest possible terms condemn the mass killings going on in parts of Northern Nigeria. We note with sadness that hundreds- of -innocent villagers have lost their precious lives through the genocidal attacks of a range of armed mercenaries suspected of being Fulani herdsmen. Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states have had a disproportionate share of these mass killings and sadly the killers and their sponsors are walking the streets freely"

HURIWA added: "The Weekend killings of indigenous tribes people in Wase Area of Plateau state has added a more sinister dimension to the entire deadly and vicious scenarios with the strong suspicion that those who undertook the killings were 'soldiers' on revenge killings over last week's killing of 7 soldiers near Taraba State. Nigeria must break this vicious circle of impunity if we ever hope to enthrone vibrant democracy that respects the Rule of Law".

"Nigeria's state and Federal institutions must be used to effectively put an end to the regime of impunity and senseless massacres of citizens. A nation that prides itself as a modern day democracy but whose ruling political elite are content to live with impunity and mindless killings of its citizenry must be ashame of itself and take concrete measures to break the vicious circles of impunity. Nigeria has become a global byword for lawlessness and impunity and we must wipe out this notorious emblem to regain our international respectability.”

•Photo shows Governor Jonah jang o Plateau State.

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